Charges to be filed in Millville dog attack

By JAIME MARINEjmarine@sjnewsco.comMILLVILLE, N.J. -- Charges were going to be filed Friday afternoon against the owners of the Chow mix that cannibalized a neighboring Akita puppy Wednesday afternoon, according to Bev Greco, director of the Cumberland County SPCA.

Greco added Friday that the caretaker of the puppy, and the caretaker's mother, would also be charged in relation to this incident.

Greco added authorities believe the puppy was already dead when it was eaten by the Chow mix.

"We will be charging (Henry and Lattice Davis, owners of five Chow-mix dogs) with failure to provide proper sustenance, veterinary care, confinement and shelter for five dogs," she said, adding three of their dogs were in poor physical condition, including the one dog that was confiscated by police following the incident.

The Davis' property, in the 400 block of East Vine Street, sits behind the North 5th Street home where the puppy was found dead in the backyard. A neighbor there claimed to see one of the Chows eating away at the Akita puppy shortly after noon on Wednesday.

"We will be charging Austin Hickman (the caretaker of the Akita) with abandonment," Greco said, adding his mother, who was not identified, will also be charged with failure to provide safe containment and proper sanitary conditions.

She said both the Davises and the Hickmans could be facing fines and community service in relation to the charges.

Greco added the Davises could be facing fines up to $4,000, while the Hickmans could be facing up to $3,000 worth of fines.

Cruelty investigators are still looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident, according to Greco, who added that they are still searching for the Akita puppy's original owner, Fernando Rodriguez, whose last known address was Sharp Street.

According to investigators, Rodriguez had given the puppy to Hickman, who according to his mother, left for Florida on Saturday. The Akita puppy had been left outside with food and water at that time.

"We would like to talk to him," Greco said of Rodriguez. "We are hoping to find him to confirm some information."

Further tests will be done on the remains of the puppy today, she said, but added preliminary assessment of the case indicates that the puppy was dead before it was cannibalized.

"Determining the cause of death for the puppy is our prime target right now," Greco said. "Evidence at the scene doesn't point to the puppy being attacked by another dog and killed."

She added that the Chow mix has not been showing any signs of aggression since it has been at the Vineland shelter.

Greco and Debbie Young, a cruelty investigator, previously said cannibalism is rare in dogs, and only usually occurs when a dog is starving.